Pangaea and the politics of envy

Pangaea and the politics of envy
PHOTO: Pangaea and the politics of envy

I entered the hallowed grounds of Pangaea last year, dressed in what I thought was a pretty sharp outfit - a Uniqlo T-shirt and a pair of jeans I had bought for less than $80 in total.

Yet, I felt like I had committed a crime, as the girl at the door to what is billed as Singapore's most exclusive club, scanned me up and down with distinct disapproval.

When I was eventually let through, it was as if I had cheated St Peter to slip through the Pearly Gates.

Inside, the music was thumping. The women had squeezed into their tightest dresses. The bottle service was in full swing.

Known for its trademark safari-theme, Pangaea had that feel alright - I was in a reserve of the well-heeled, where the privileged could preen and frolic in their exclusive and natural habitat.

To those uninitiated to the newest addition to the Singapore nightlife scene, Pangaea might seem like a world apart. Owner Michael Ault has called it the ultimate house party for the world's glitterati - where exclusivity and top class service come at an exorbitant premium.

Pangaea can be, at the same time, severely discombobulating and invigorating. Am I in New York, London, or Vegas? It could be anywhere in the world.

People who can, go there to have a good time, as at any club, bar or house party.

But Pangaea will tell you it does it better.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal's wealth magazine stirred up discussion with its vivid depiction of excess at this club. As someone who has had a peek inside, I would warn people not to take it at face value.

The majority of its clientele appear to have more in common with me than the Eduardo Saverins of the world - that is, a firmly middle income, salaried professional, who is likely to spend on a few glasses of a gin and tonic, rather than a 10-bottle train of Cristal. The only A380 I will ever own is its toy model.

In fact, the total hit for a mere mortal like me on the night, was less than $80 - a $40 cover charge, and two drinks. My bank account lived to fight another day.

But yet, while the picture painted by the Journal wasn't exactly what greeted me inside Pangaea, the depiction can serve as an important warning sign. There may not yet be this parallel world of the rich that is unrecognisable to the ordinary Singaporean, but there are signs that the country is developing a new type of wealth. It is a wealth marked by a penchant for extreme, in-your-face conspicuous consumption.

Singapore has always had its share of the very rich, but they did not care to flaunt it.

The early generations of the wealthy such as banker Wee Cho Yaw and the late real estate tycoon Ng Teng Fong, lived modest lives in public despite accumulating a huge fortune in their lifetimes.

The implicit understanding, embodied also by our political leaders, was for the rich and powerful to lead a lifestyle of prudence and simplicity.

One extreme example is former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, whose spartan lifestyle includes wearing the same jacket for 20 years.

That sensitivity preserved a sense of unity in society, despite the rapid income growth and increase in the number of millionaires.

But somewhere along the line, that changed.

As Singaporeans wanted more excitement and more opportunities in the city, it attracted also different people, lifestyles and values into society. The Government decided to push Singapore as a wealth management hub. It built the Integrated Resorts. Then more clubs and bars opened, the waterfront at Fullerton was developed and Marina Bay has been transformed into a dazzling spectacle.

In a decade, Singapore went from frumpy to sexy.

But with that emerged also a newer and younger generation, with an obsession for more "bling".

Where Singapore's old money was frugal, low-key and respectful, Singapore's new money is more flashy and arrogant.

It is at risk of unleashing a potion of envy that can poison any society.

British philosopher John Stuart Mill described envy as "the most anti-social and odious of all passions".

Envy knows no reason, it is a visceral and irrational feeling that no amount of charts and statistics can temper.

Even if the income gap were to narrow with aggressive measures to lift wages at the bottom, increase productivity and raise taxes at the top, I wonder if it will be enough to temper the feelings of envy that could come from this flaunting of wealth.

A study published in the Journal of Economic Psychology on conspicuous consumption and its effect on satisfaction found that as the number of Ferraris and Porsches increased in Switzerland, it caused a decrease in the level of income satisfaction. That means people felt less happy with themselves just by seeing more expensive cars on the road. Now imagine that in a dense city-state of 5 million people.

Much more destructive than the economics of inequality, is the politics of envy.


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